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u/manzworld
▲ 21 r/HalfManTV
In this rare early Richard Gadd interview from 2015, we see shades of his Half Man character Ruben reflected in his answers
How does Gadd's depiction of his early life compare with that of his characters? Does Gadd insert himself into these characters that he writes for TV? Ruben is very much a mix of Martha and Darian, rolled into one, appearing almost supernaturally at all the wrong times. Fiercely protective, with playful violence and affectionate animal nicknames ("Bambi"), Ruben is the terrible villain, while Niall, like Donny in Reindeer, is a character with no agency or thought as to how to move in the world he inhabits. He just exists and things happen.
In Gadd's interview question 'What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?' his answer sounds Rubenesque.
>"I got hooked on Crystal Meth during my final exams at school. That was probably the most dangerous thing I have done. I did it intentionally too. Just so the three hours of essay writing would pass quicker. I wrote all three essays in ten minutes about the late restoration poet Wilhelm von Adamson, then had to sit there for the remaining two hours and fifty minutes until I was free to leave. I got so bored I ended up humping the desk and gave myself sweat rash. Once the effects had worn off three days later, I realised two things. One: that I have a serious problem. Two: that Wilhelm von Adamson doesn't exist."
Is there a pattern in these writing works. Are there any evidence of these archetypes in his other writing?
u/manzworld — 4 days ago
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u/manzworld — 5 days ago
'Baby Reindeer' had 'major' differences with real-life story, judge says
From the USA Today Article
The Emmy-winning Netflix series "Baby Reindeer" had "major" differences with the real-life events it was based on, according to a judge.
In a ruling on Friday, Judge R. Gary Klausner denied Netflix's motion to dismiss Fiona Harvey's defamation lawsuit against the streamer. Harvey has identified herself as the woman "Baby Reindeer" was about, though her name is not used in the series.
Created by and starring Richard Gadd, the limited series revolved around a comedian who becomes a victim of stalking from a woman named Martha and is allegedly based on Gadd's actual experiences with Harvey. The show opens with a title card stating, "This is a true story."
Klausner's ruling cleared Harvey to proceed with her allegations of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Netflix but dismissed some of her other claims, including of negligence and for punitive damages.
USA TODAY has reached out to Netflix for comment.
Netflix argues that the statements about Harvey are "substantially true," but the judge disagreed, noting that there were significant differences between the show and the real-life story.
In particular, the ruling outlined that according to evidence from the defendants, Harvey is not a twice-convicted criminal, she did not stalk a police officer, she did not sexually assault Gadd in an alley (but did allegedly get "handsy" with him without consent), she did not smash a glass bottle over Gadd's head and gouge his eyes with her thumbs, and she did not wait outside his home every day for up to 16 hours. Netflix has outlined allegations against Harvey it argues are similar to what is portrayed in the show.
Yes, 'Baby Reindeer' on Netflix is about real people. Inside Richard Gadd's true story
But the judge said, "There is a major difference between stalking and being convicted of stalking in a court of law. Likewise, there are major differences between inappropriate touching and sexual assault, as well as between shoving and gouging another's eyes. While Plaintiff's purported actions are reprehensible, Defendants' statements are of a worse degree and could produce a different effect on the mind of a viewer."
Netflix argues that a reasonable viewer would understand that the show uses dramatic elements and is therefore not factual. But the judge said that the "this is a true story" card at the start of the show invites "the audience to accept the statements as fact."
'Baby Reindeer' shines light on complicated aspects of sexual abuse
Additionally, the judge rejected Netflix's argument that the similarities between Harvey and Martha are broad enough that a reasonable person would not be able to identify her. "Martha and Plaintiff have specific similarities that few others could claim to share," the judge said, determining that a "reasonable person could understand the statements about Martha to be about Plaintiff."
The judge also cited an article in The Sunday Times claiming that Netflix requested the "this is a true story" line despite concerns from Gadd. "This suggests a reckless disregard of whether statements in the Series were false, and thus, actual malice," the ruling said.
Harvey sued Netflix for at least $170 million in June, two months after the series debuted. In a declaration filed in July, Gadd said that "Baby Reindeer" is a "dramatic work" and "is not a documentary or an attempt at realism."
"While the Series is based on my life and real-life events and is, at its core, emotionally true, it is not a beat-by-beat recounting of the events and emotions I experienced as they transpired," Gadd said. "It is fictionalized, and is not intended to portray actual facts."
u/manzworld — 5 days ago
▲ 16 r/HalfManTV
HBO’s ‘Half Man’ has ‘Baby Reindeer’ creator’s signature pain but with less punch
From the USA Today article...
With Richard Gadd, what you see is what you get.
The creator of Netflix's 2024 word-of-mouth sensation "Baby Reindeer" had us all buzzing about his deeply dark and disturbing drama based (at least in part) on his own experience with sexual violence and stalking. The conversations of "did you see that?" between friends and family propelled the mildly famous Scottish comic to international fame, nabbed him and his costars a haul of Emmy and other awards and propelled his career forward by light years.
So it's all eyes on the creator as he releases "Half Man" on HBO, his first post-"Reindeer" series and an announcement to the world of who he is as an artist beyond one popular (and deeply controversial) hit. Any viewers of "Reindeer" will instantly recognize Gadd's touch (if not his appearance) in "Half Man" (Thursdays, 9:00 ET/PT, ★½ out of four), a dark and twisted story of two de facto stepbrothers over 30 years of a traumatic and precarious relationship. It is distressing, nightmarish and disturbing; all the emotions elicited by "Reindeer" in a new package on a new network.
"Half Man" is not "Reindeer." Its themes are the same, its star is the same (although Gadd's physical transformation for this role is astonishing), but it is missing a vitality the first series had. Maybe it's authenticity (although there is much controversy over the verisimilitude of "Reindeer"). Maybe it's the novelty of "Reindeer," or the quick pacing. Or maybe it's the unnerving performance of his costar Jessica Gunning.
But "Half Man" does not have the same effect as "Reindeer," and whatever is lacking here − or perhaps whatever is actually too much − is to the series' detriment. "Half Man" is a slog to get through, offering no moments of relief from the dark, no recovery for a viewer weighed down by the enormity of it all. It doesn't even take all six episodes for the story to become one-note, dull and tedious, even as it piles on innovative moments of torment for its characters.
"Half Man" focuses on an inextricably bonded pair of men, Ruben and Niall, played by Gadd and Jamie Bell (who seems to have shrunk to skin and bones even as Gadd has bulked out substantially). Stepbrothers of a sort, their mothers were semi-closeted lovers much derided by their community in 1980s Scotland. The series starts back in that decade with younger actors as Ruben (Stuart Campbell) and Niall (Mitchell Robertson), forced into cohabitation and uneasy partnership as Ruben returns from a stint in juvenile detention to live with Niall and his mother. Bullied and downtrodden at school, Niall at first fears his "brother from another lover," then begins to cherish the other boy's explosive rage and sexual prowess as Niall begins to reap the benefits by association. The series follows both lives as they grow from teens to men in a world steeped in sexual confusion, abuse, trauma and always returning to their reluctantly magnetic relationship.
The two men's lives are intertwined in ways big and small over the course of the six-episode series, culminating in an outbreak of violence at Niall's wedding that symbolizes the core of their disturbing relationship. The series is relentless in its macabre perversity as it documents their lives. If you thought "Reindeer" never let go of its nihilism and despair, Gadd decided to one-up himself for "Half Man."
There's an argument for Gadd to continue the tone, themes and shocks that made him so famous. When HBO came knocking on his door after the surprise success of "Reindeer," it's likely they asked for more of what already won acclaim, viewership and Emmys.
Gadd's signature, if you will, is this probe into toxic masculinity meeting mental illness meeting sexuality meeting cruelty and sadism. It is a disquieting pool to paddle around in, and Gadd has waded too deep this time. It's not very far into "Half Man" (perhaps no further than a disturbing sexual assault in the first episode) that you might start to wonder what the line is between examination and exploitation. Is Gadd a profound auteur boldly tackling these upsetting themes, or is he simply going for the same shock, horror and gruesome titillation that plagued much-criticized sexual violence-heavy shows like "Game of Thrones"? Why does Gadd's storytelling about the vulnerabilities, perversions and hurts of men have to include nudity from nameless female characters? Why does he need to show the queasy abuses and traumas so vividly in order to uncover their effects on the psyche? Is this a new version of hit British toxic masculinity drama "Adolescence" or a total train wreck?
What is everyone thinking about this article? Unfair or accurate?
EDIT - Other Richard Gadd & Baby Reindeer related posts can be found at r/BabyReindeerTVSeries & r/BabyReindeerLawsuit
u/manzworld — 5 days ago
u/manzworld — 9 days ago